Metallic rod-packing



J. BADEKER.

METALLIC ROD PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1917.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

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J. BADEKER.

METALLIC ROD PACKING.

APPLICATION man NOV. 5. 1917.

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JOHN B DEKER,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

JOHN BADEKER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOB TO CHICAGO STANDARD METALLIC PACKING COMPANY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

METALLIC non-PACKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 5, 1917. -Serial No. 200,458.

air and gas compressors and the like, where-- in it is necessary to maintain a fluid-tight 'oint around a cylindrical reciprocating rod. t is the object of my invention to provide a simple, durable and 'eflicient packing for the purpose set forth, having a packing-ring consisting of a plurality of slidably contacting pieces so formed as to be capable of closure upon the rod to compensate wear of, the contacting surfaces, the parts or segments of the packing-ring being of such form that no bending or deformation thereof is required by the closure upon the rod, and being so interlocked that the several parts or segments are constantly maintained in symmetrically-spaced arrangement about the rod. A further object of my invention is to provide in a packing of this class an improved follower device disposed entirely within the packing gland and being carried and guided by the gland instead of being carried upon the rod.

In the accom anying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudina or. axial section of a rodpacking embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a partial front view and partially atransverse section of the same on the plane of the line2-.-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view of the packing-ring alone. Fig. 4 is an axial section of a sli htly modified form of the packing-ring, Fig. 5 is a rear side view of one of the inner segments of said packingring, Fig. 6 is a front view of said packingring with one of the inner segments removed, Fig; 7 is a similar view of a further modification of the'-packing-ring, Fig. 8 is a rearview of one of the inner segments of the latter ring, Fig. 9-is an axial section of said ring, and Fig. 10 is a detail axial section showing a slightly modified arrangement of the follower and follower-springs.

In the illustrated structure, the rod 11 has the usual enlargement or reinforcement 12 at'the end thereof which is connected with the crosshead of the engine, pump or the like. The rod-opening 13 in the cylinderhead 14; is of such size that the enlarged part 12 offthe rod may be passed through the same. The stuffing-box 15, usually found in engines and the like, is not directly employed in the structure shown, and the open end of said stufling-box is partially closed b a back-ring 16 having an outer flange 1; whlch is clamped between the cylinder-head 14 and the rear end of a gland 18. The gland is secured to the head b means of stud-bolts 19 and nuts 20, the g and inclosing eripherally a cylindrical ackingcham er 21 surrounding the rod. Idle openings 22 and .23 through the front portion of the gland and through the back-ring 16 are of the same diameter as the rod-opening 13 of the cylinder-head, enabling said parts to be passed over the rod-en1argement 12, and also providing a clearance-space around the rod to permit lateral movement thereof resulting from wear of the cross-head, piston and cylinder.

Within the gland at the front end of the packing-chamber 21 there is disposed a split stop-ring comprising two parts 2 124=', having plane-surfaced abutting end-portions extending in a plane intersecting lonitudinally the axis of the rod, said endaces of the split ring forming fluid-tight joints with each other, and the front side of the ring forming a fluid-tight joint with the inner face 25*of the gland. The stopring is grooved peri herally to receive annular coil springs 26 y WhlCh the two parts of the ring are held together. At the rear end of the packing-chamber 21, adjacent to the back-rin 16, there is arranged a follower-ring 2 which fits slidably within the chamber, bearing against the peripheral wall thereof. 'The bore of the follower-ring is of such diameter that the same may be passed overthe rod-enlargement 12 when assembling the parts. In the rear side of the. follower-ring there are a plurality of cylindrical pockets, equally spaced circumferentially of the ring, said ockets containing coil springs 28 of which the rear ends bear against the back-ring so as to push the follower forwardly therefrom.

The spring-pockets are Epreferably formed in lugs 29, as shown in ig. 2, the material between said lugs at the inner and rearward sides of the ring being removed to reduce the weight of the ring.

The packing-ring is disposed in the cham-' ber 21 between the follower-ring and stoprin and forms a fluid-tight joint with the ro and the rear side of the stop-ring, being pressed yieldingly against the stop-ring by the follower springs and follower. The packing-ring comprises a plurality of main segments 30 of similar form, disposed annularly about the rod and having radial clearance-spacesbetween the adj acentends there- .of, and a like number of inner segments 31. 'The outer or peripheral portions of the mam segments are grooved to receive'annular coil springs 32 by which the segements are pressed yieldingly inward. The front and rear sides of the main segments fit, respectively, against the stop-ring and follower,

and at the ends of the main segments the segments, to enable the closing of the packing-rin'g upon the rod as the inner concave surfaces of the segments are worn away. On the rear sides of the inner segments, adjoining the outer edges thereof, the same have integral rectilinear tongues 33 which fit slidably in corresponding grooves 34 in the main segments. In that form of the packing-ring shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the tongues 33 are coextensive with'the outer edges of the segments. and it is necessary that the tongues fit into the grooves so as to form fluid-tight joints therewith.

In the modified form of the packing-ring shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the end-portions of the inner segments 310 extend beyond the ends of the tongues 330, and the grooves 340 of the main segments 300 similarly terminate without extending to the ends of the main recesses. With this form of the packing-ring no leakage can occur even though the tongues do not fit the grooves perfectly, since a fluid entering the grooves from the clearance-spaces at the ends of the main segments will be stopped. at the joint formed between the flat abutting surfaces near the ends-of the inner segments, beyond the ends of the tongues 330.

In the further modified form of the packing-ring shown in Figs. 7, 8. and 9, the tongues 331 are provided only near the ends of the inner segments 311, and the grooves 341 are not extended to the clearance-spaces at the ends of the main segments 301. With this form of the packing-ring, also, no leakage can occur byimperfect fitting of the tongues into the grooves, since the fluid from the clearance-spaces at the endsof the main segments is prevented from entering the grooves by the joints formed between the flat abuttingsurfaces of the segments adjoining said ends of the main segments.

In each of the described forms of the packing-ring, the tongues and grooves which interconnect the two sets of segments serve the same purpose, namely; that they prevent shifting of the segments relatively to each otherabout the rod. Obviously such circumferential movement of the segments relatively to each other would change the angular relations of the outer sides of the lnner segments to the outer sides of the recesses-therefor in the main segments, leav- 1ng wedge-shaped spaces between said surfaces through which leakage might occur, and also resulting in narrowing the clearance-spaces between the ends of the segments at one side of the ring, with corresponding widening of the clearance-spaces at the other slde of t e ring. As the tongues and grooves prevent change of the angular relations of the segments to each other, they also prevent the resulting non-uniformity of the clearance-spaces. It'will be seen that when the inner segments are in their normal assembled positions, the outer fiat surfaces thereof are related to each other as the sides of an equilateral olygon concentric with the axis of the rod: and that such relation is maintained as the packing wears. each of the several segments moving inward directly radial to the rod, without bending or deformation, the contacting surfaces of the inner and main segments sliding upon each other, and all the clearance-spaces at the ends of the segments being uniformly reduced in width. Thus a very large proportion of the material in the packing-ring may be worn away by the rod before the ring will become useless by permitting leakage of fluid through the same, the maximum wear of the packing-ring being attained when the ring is reduced to a size such that the ends of the main segments engage each other. while the ends of the inner segments correspondingly approach the ends of the recesses in the main segments. As no bending or deformation of the segments in any way other than the wearing of their inner surfaces, is required to permit closure of the packing-ring upon the rod. the packing-ring may be made of any desired and suitable material, and the packing maythus be adapted for use with water, steam. ammonia. acids or other fluids, by selection of materials capable of withstanding the action of the fluid for which the packing is to be used. Lateral movement of the rod, relative to the cylinder-head and gland, is accommodated by sliding of the sto -ring against the inner face of the glan and by sliding of the rear side of the packing-ring upon the front face'of the follower. The follower, being carried and guided by the gland, does not rest upon the rod so as to wear or be worn by the same, and is thus capable of use for an indefinite period without replacement.

A slightly modified arrangement of the follower and follower-springs is shown in Fig. 10, in which the springs 280 are disposed in pockets formed in the back-ring 160, the follower 270 bein a plain rlng, thinner than the ring 27. y this arrangement, the depth of the gland 180 may be slightly less than with the first descrlbed 1 structure.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a metallic rod-packing, a packingring of uniform substantially rectangular section comprising a plurality of main segments arranged annularly and having radial clearance-spaces between the ends thereof, the adjacent ends of each pair of said segments having plane-surfaced recesses therein adjoining the bore and one side of the ring, said recesses each having a side-face extending transversely of the bore, said recesses having outer faces symmentrical' to the bore, inner segments each having plane faces fitting slidably upon the side-faces and outer faces of the'recesses in adjacent ends of a pair of the main segments, and sl1d- 'ably interengaging rectilinear tongues and grooves in the abutting side-faces of themain and inner segments, said tongues andgrooves being parallel to the outer faces of the inner segments and preventing only such relative movement of the main and inner segments as to change the angular relation of the segments to each other in the plane of the ring.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1, in which the tongues and grooves in the abutting side-faces of the segments are discontinuous longitudinally of said side-faces, whereby overlapping portions of said sidefaces are unbroken by said tongues and grooves.

3. In a metallic rod-packing, a packing ring comprising a plurality of main segments arranged annularly and having clearance-spaces between the ends thereof, there being plane-surfaced recesses in the ends of said segments adjoining the bore and one side thereof, inner segments fitting slidably in the adjacent end-recesses of each pair of the main segments and extending circumferentially across the clearance-spaces ,between said main segments, and rectilinear tongues on said inner segments extending axially therefrom and fitting into grooves in the main segments, said tongues and grooves extending tangentially to a common circle concentric with the bore of the ring.

4. In a metallic rod-packing, a packingring comprising two sets of annularly arranged segments having clearance-spaces at the ends thereof, the segments of each set extending circumferentially across the clearance-spaces of the other set, and one set of the segments inclosing peripherally the ends of the other set, the engaging surfaces of the segments being plane-surfaced and slidable upon each other to reduce the diameter of the ring, and rectilinear slidably interengaging parts between the two sets of segments at contacting surfaces thereof perpendicular to the rod, said parts extending tangentially to a circle concentric with the bore of the ring and being separable by relative movement of the segments longitu-' dinally of the rod, whereby uniform circumferential spacing'of the segments is maintained during closure of the ring.

5. In a metallic rod-packing, a packingring comprising a plurality of inner segments disposed annularly about the rod and equally spaced circumferentially thereof, said segments each having an inner concave side and plane-surfaced outer sides extending angularly to each other and symmetrically to the rod, main segments each having an inner portion fitting upon the rod alongside the end-portions of a pair of the inner segments and portions fitting slidably over the outer sides of said portions of the inner segments, adjacent ends of each pair of the main segments spaced opposite the intermediate portions of the respective inner segments, and rectilinear slidably interengaging 'ineans between the inner and outer segments at contacting surfaces thereof perpendicular to the rod, said means extending parallel to the outer sides of the inner segments, and being freely separable by movement of the inner se ents longitudinally of the vrod away from t e main segments.

6. In .a metallic rod-packing, a packingring comprising two annularly arranged series of segments havin circumferential clearance-spaces at the en s thereof, the segments of each series stopping longitudinally of the rod the clearance-spaces of the other series, and one series stopping radially of the rod the clearance-spaces of the other series, all the surfaces of the segments .contacting with each other beingplane-surfaced and symmetrical to the rod, and, rectilinear t'ongue-and-groove connecting portions .between the segments of each series and the adjoining segments of the other series, said connecting portions extending tangentially to a common circle and adapted to prevent non-uniform movement of the several segments radially of the rod, and said connecting portions being freely separable by relltive displacement longitudinally of the ro 7. In a metallic rod-packing, a packingring of uniform substantially rectangular section, comprising a plurality of main segments arranged annularly and having radial clearance-spaces between the ends thereof, the adjacent ends of each pair of said segments having plane-surfaced recesses therein adjoining the bore and one side of the ring, said recesses each havin a side-face extending perpendicularly of t e bore,- said recesses having outer faces symmentrical to the bore, inner segments each having plane faces fitting slidably upon the side-faces and outer faces of the recesses adjacent ends side-faces of the inner and main segments being provided adjacent to the ends of the main segments with slidably interengaging tongues and grooves which extend parallel with the outer faces of the inner segments and prevent change in the angular relation of the segments to each other in the plane of the rin the abutting side-faces adjacent to' the en s of the inner segments being unbroken by said tongues and grooves, whereby to form a fluid-tight joint between the 'circumferentially overlapped portions of the segments.

JOHN BADEKER. 

